My visit to Germany has been quite remarkable. I wish you were here to see the magnificent architecture of the castles. Did you know that some of the Disney castle's were based on real German castles? Like the castle in the Disney film "Sleeping Beauty" was based on theNeuschwansteincastle, and Disney's castle in Magic Kingdom, also based on the Neuschwanstein castle!The first castles in Germany were built out of earth and timber. And the easiest area for the builders to make was always the ring work (a large area enclosed and surrounded by a ditch with rampart inside it). I am sure glad I am not visiting one of those earth built castles. That would be like visiting a mud hole! EWWW! But I very much enjoyed visiting the castles because most were very large and spacious, a perfect place for a military to have its base. The one castle I visited very often was the Rhine castle
Rhine Castle
. I put a picture of the Rhine castle in here for you too.
Some cool parts of a castle are the baily, moat and the motte. The baily is the courtyard around a castle, the moat is a steep-sided ditch around a castle that was often filled with water, and the motte was the mound of earth that held a tower that was surrounded by a wall and a ditch. Also, most German castles had one tower that was taller than the rest. This tower is called the bergfried. It doesn't have a lot of room in it, and is thought to have been used as observation posts and places for last-ditch defense. Most German castles were built in a Romanesque style. They had thick walls, few windows making it dark, and round windows. Other castles were built in a Gothic style. These castles had thinner walls, more windows making it well lighted, and more decorations.
The Courtyard Of Heidelberg Castle.
I can't believe peopledidn't actually start building stone castles until the tenth century. But apparently at that time thereweren't very many stone castlesbecause it cost too much, took too much time and took too many people to build it, such as skilled masons. Those masons had to be very skilled to be able to make such master pieces.The zigzag designon the castles are very common now but they didn't become popular until the 12th century. I wonder why they have zigzag lines now but not in the ninth and tenth century's. Oh well, maybe I will never know.
There are sooo many people working in the castlelike constables, who look after buildings in the castle; marshals, who are in charge of the horses; garrisons; outside servants; chamberlains; who look after food and drink, and stewards; who run finances and estates. In the Medieval days, there were butlers who worked at the castle. They were the most important servant. They were in charge of buying and storing food and drink and they were in charge of the lower servants. You would really like the horses and the groomers here who take care of the horses. They are so gentle and kind, just like you.
My favorite part of the castles are the locations of them. Most are placed on a mountain, near a river, or on a hill. The reason they made them like this was because it helped the military of the castle. If the castle was built on a mountain, it was very hard for men and their machines to climb up it. Just like it was hard for me to climb up those really steep steps; I broke into a sweat! These castles on mountains wouldn't be the type of castle calledwasserburg, a castle with a little stream surrounding it. Another type of castle I have learned about is known as a Randhausburg. The word Randhausburg meanes "Border or Margin house Castle". I haven't seen very manychristian castles, which would hold a chapel. But I have heard that thepictures on the walls of the chapel were very important because a lot of people couldn't read back then, the walls of the chapel told the story of the bible.
Some of the castles I visited were: Cochem Castle, Plafzgrafenstein, Lichtenstein, Rhine castle, and Mespelbrunn castle. I liked Mespelbrunn castle the most though. It islocated in northern Bavaria in a small, hidden valley. Because of this location, it has survived the 30 year war and both World Wars! My second favorite castle was the Burghausen Castle. It is also located in Bavaria, Germany, I really can't believe it's over a kilometer long, and it has over SIX courtyards!! Wow that's big!! And to my surprise it turns out that Burghausen Castle is actually the longest existing castle in Europe. Many people and the people that work/ live in the castle refer to the castle as "a little city, that connects the past and the present." But truthfully I just like it for its name. I also loved Geibichenstein Castle. It's located in the city Halle, in the German state Saxory-Ahault. Geibichenstein is the oldest castle at the Saale river and there is only a ruin left. It has been reconstucted in a way so that nothing will fall on you while visiting! Boy, am I glad of that!
King Ludwig II
The most interesting topic I've learned about here is King Ludwig II. He became a king at age 18 and dreamed of building a castle of his own, in which he called Neuschwanstein. He began the constuction of his castle in 1869. It was very modern, having a telephone system, hot and cold running water, heating in every room, and even automatic flush toilets! Soon, he ran out of money for Neuschwanstein,
Neuschwanstein Castle
and began asking other countries for money to build his dream castle. Later, King Ludwig II was declared insane and arrested. Neuschwanstein opened to the public 7 weeks after his strange death: drowning in a lake. Did you know that "Mad" King Ludwig II's dream castle appeared in the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?I love that movie!!!
Another thing I noticed in and around the castles were the weapons. Although they're not in use now, they were still very interesting. Some weapons were rolling wooden towers covered with large hides to stop any attempts of an arrow attack, they were also kept soaking wet so if you tried a fire ball attack or fire arrow attack it would still be stopped. Others were catapults; which threw huge stones, loads of rocks, diseased livestock, or fire bombs, and battering rams; which were used to break down doors. Wow, I sure would not like to get in the cross fire of a battle between castles. That is definitely no place for anyone with a faint heart like me.
Even though I've seen only a few castles in the rest of Europe, I believe German Castles have the most variety of designs. The environment around them contributes to the design of the castle, which I think is sooo cool. I believe that the castles of Germany are mysterious and magical. Well I have to go now; so many castles, so little time! Tcshau!!
Miss You,
Elizabeth
Kala-Green Carissa-Pink
Rough Draft
Dear Mom and Dad,
My visit to Germany has been quite remarkable. I wish you were here to see the magnificent architecture of the castles. Did you know that some of the Disney castle's were based on real German castles? Yeah, I know that's really unexpected and interesting. The first castles in Germany were built out of earth and timber. And the easiest area for the builders to make was always the ring work (a large area enclosed and surrounded by a ditch with rampart inside it). I am sure glad I am not visiting one of those earth built castles. That would be like visiting a mud hole! EWWW! But I very much enjoyed visiting the castles because most were very large and spacious, a perfect place for a military to have its base. The one castle I visited very often was the Rhine castle, I put a picture in here for you too. Some cool parts of a castle are the baily, moat and the motte. The baily is the courtyard around a castle, the moat is a steep-sided ditch around a castle that was often filled with water, and the motte was the mound of earth that held a tower that was surrounded by a wall and a ditch. Also, most German castles had one tower that was taller than the rest. This tower is called the bergfried. It doesn't have a lot of room in it, and is thought to have been used as observation posts and places for last-ditch defense. Most German castles were built in a Romanesque style. They had thick walls, few windows making it dark, and round windows. Other castles were built in a Gothic style. These castles had thinner walls, more windows making it well lighted, and had more decorations. I can't believe peopledidn't actually start building stone castles until the tenth century. But apparently at that time thereweren't very many stone castlesbecause it cost too much, took too much time and took too many people to build it, such as skilled masons. Those masons had to be very skilled to be able to make such master pieces.The zigzag designon the castles are very common now but they didn't become popular until the 12th century. I wonder why they have zigzag lines now but not in the ninth and tenth century's. Oh well, maybe I will never know. There are sooo many people working in the castlelike constables, who look after buildings in the castle; marshals, who are in charge of the horses; garrisons; outside servants; chamberlains; who look after food and drink, and stewards; who run finances and estates. In the Medieval days, there were butlers who worked at the castle. They were the most important servant. They were in charge of buying and storing food and drink and they were in charge of the lower servants. You would really like the horses and the groomers here who take care of the horses. They are so gentle and kind, just like you. My favorite part of the castles are the locations of them. Most are placed on a mountain, near a river, or on a hill. The reason they made them like this was because it helped the military of the castle. If the castle was built on a mountain, it was very hard for men and their machines to climb up it. Just like it was hard for me to climb up those really steep steps; I broke into a sweat! But castles on mountains wouldn't be the type of castle calledwasserburg, a castle with a little stream surrounding it. Another type of castle I have learned about is known as a Randhausburg. The word Randhausburg meanes "Border or Margin house Castle".
I haven't seen very manychristian castles, which would hold a chapel. But I have heard that thepictures on the walls of the chapel were very important because a lot of people couldn't read back then, the walls of the chapel told the story of the bible.
Some of the castles I visited were: Cochem Castle, Plafzgrafenstein, Lichtenstein, Rhine castle, and Mespelbrunn castle. I liked Mespelbrunn castle the most though. It islocated in northern Bavaria in a small, hidden valley. Because of this location, it has survived the 30 year war and both World Wars! My second favorite castle was the Burghausen Castle. It's located in the southern area of Germany, in a place called Baveria. I really can't believe it's over a kilometer long, and it has over SIX courtyards!! Wow that's big!! And to my surprise it turns out that Burghausen Castle is actually the longest existing castle in Europe. Many people and the people that work/ live in the castle refer to the castle as "a little city, that connects the past and the present." But truthfully I just like it for its name. I also loved Geibichenstein Castle. It's located in the city Halle, in the German state Saxory-Ahault. Geibichenstein is the oldest castle at the Saale river and there is only a ruin left. It has been reconstucted in a way so that nothing will fall on you while visiting! Boy, am I glad of that! The most interesting topic I've learned about here is King Ludwig II. He became a king at age 18 and dreamed of building a castle of his own, in which he called Neuschwanstein. He began the constuction of his castle in 1869. It was very modern, having a telephone system, hot and cold running water, heating in every room, and even automatic flush toilets! Soon, he ran out of money for Neuschwanstein, and began asking other countries for money to build his dream castle. Later, King Ludwig II was declared insane and arrested. Neuschwanstein opened to the public 7 weeks after his strange death: drowning in a lake. Did you know that "Mad" King Ludwig II's dream castle appeared in the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?I love that movie!!! Another thing I noticed in and around the castles were the weapons. Although they're not in use now, they were still very interesting. Some weapons were rolling wooden towers covered with large hides to stop any attempts of an arrow attack, they were also kept soaking wet so if you tried a fire ball attack or fire arrow attack it would still be stopped. Others were catapults; which threw huge stones, loads of rocks, diseased livestock, or fire bombs, and battering rams; which were used to break down doors. Wow, I sure would not like to get in the cross fire of a battle between castles. That is definitely no place for anyone with a faint heart like me. Even though I've seen only a few castles in the rest of Europe, I believe German Castles have the most variety of designs. The environment around them contributes to the design of the castle, which I think is sooo cool. I believe that the castles of Germany are mysterious and magical. Well I have to go now; so many castles, so little time! Tcshau!!
Miss You,
Elizabeth
kayla's comments:
I highlighted the parts that I think we don't really need in red. I also added a few things. I think I need to take a few more notes before I add too much more on, if that's OK. I'll try to be quick about it!
I found some pictures!!!!
rhine castle by mbell1975.
Rhine castle
Notes:
Castle by: Christopher Gravett The First Castles
The earliest castles were in the 9th and 10th century, when the empire was made by Charlemaghe in modern France, Germany, and north Italy. Collapsed as a result of raids by people like Vikings and Magyars (Hungarian Nomads). They built castles for protection and a vase for soldiers. Most early castles were built out of earth and timber. The easiest part of building a castle was the ring work (a larg area enclosed and surrounded by a ditch with rampart inside it). The Great Tower
10th century is when lords began building castles out of stone. A large stone castle could become a main military and residential building of a castle. Few towers were built like this though because they were expensive, took too long to build, and they needed lots of skilled masons (stone workers to design the castles). Until the 11th century. They are known as keeps now, but they were revered as great towers or donjons. Normans liked great toweres with thick walls so they built several after their conquest of England in 1066.
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/castle_history.htm -Large stone castles were built in Europe from about the 1100’s to about the 1500’s. These huge buildings served not only to defend the country from foreign invaders but as the basic tool in preserving the king’s and the nobles’ power over the land. The social system was very rigid in the Middle Ages.
Under Feudalism, the basic social structure in this time, all land was held by the king. The king gave pieces of this land to various high nobles, in return for their help in fighting his wars or in putting downrebellions. Not only did the higher nobles have to fight for the king themselves, they had to supply a certain number of lesser lords and other knights to help fight also. These higher nobles then gave some of their land to lesser knights, in return for their help in battle. Below all the knights were the serfs, who actually farmed the land. They gave a portion of their crops each year to the lord who ruled over them, in return for use of the land and protection.
The king could not be everywhere in the country, especially with the poor roads and the limited transportation of the Middle Ages. The king’s vassals, the lords, however, could be all over the country, with their castles as symbols of their power for all to see.
A man’s son inherited his lands and his obligations to fight. As time went on, inheritances became complicated, because there were lords who had no living children, who had only daughters as heiresses, and who split their inheritances among their sons (rarely daughters). When the daughter of a lord married the son of another lord, the young couple inherited land from both families. If the overlord from whom they got one piece goes to war with the overlord from whom they got the other piece—on which side did they fight? If there are two possible heirs to the throne itself, for whom do they fight? If a higher lord rebels against the king, does his vassal fight for the lord, or for the king? Who is closer, and more likely to take away his castle and his land? What will the other knights do? Which families is he allied to, by marriage or other bonds?
The castle was both a residence for the lord and his family, and a fortification. It was a strong place for the lord to defend himself against his enemies (and the king’s enemies, and his overlord’s enemies), a safe place for him and his knights to return to, and a place to live which emphasized his power. A few heavily armed knights could control a large area, if there was no organized army to go against them. Not only did knights fight against foreign enemies, they fought a lot against each other, and they put down rebellions among the peasants. Showing that you had
Underline
a lot of power sometimes made actual fighting unnecessary. In Britain, many of the castles are along borders, to stop raids by the Welsh and the Scots, and as a basis for raiding in return.
Stone and wood were about the only building materials available. Slate and thatch (bundles of reeds or other plants in a thick bundle) were used for roofs, but not for walls. Fortunately, northern Europe had large amounts of both wood and stone. Wood didn’t last as long, but, worse, it could be set on fire by the other side. Stone is very strong in compression (stone can hold up a great deal of weight). Mortar and gravity kept the stones in place. Once a stone building is constructed, it needs very little maintenance and lasts a long time. It is not, however, very pleasant to live in—a stone castle is cold, damp and dark. Many pieces were added to improve the castle as a residence.
Castles were built to keep out enemies. When an attack was expected, the drawbridge was raised, the gates and portcullis were closed, and archers were stationed on the towers. The walls were not only high, in a well-planned castle, but they were arranged as much as possible so that anyone climbing the walls could be shot at from two directions. Many castles have strange shapes because the castle was designed to accommodate the terrain, and to catch attackers in a crossfire.
The castle’s defenses invited a great deal of ingenuity from the attackers. Rolling wooden towers, covered with thick hides to stop arrows and kept wet so they could not be set on fire, were brought up to the walls in an attack. Sometimes they even worked. Catapults threw heavy stones at the walls to make a breach or loads of rocks (or diseased livestock, or fire bombs) over the walls. The battering ram—generally used against a door—was an old favorite.
Thoughts of these different ‘siege engines’ were always on the minds of the castles’ designers. The castle was often built on a raised platform. Roads to the castle angled and sloped to restrict the easy use of battering rams and the like. There was often also the traditional moat (left behind from digging out the earth to make the raised platform for the castle) and drawbridge, just to keep things interesting.
Another method of defeating a castle was laying siege to it, by trying to starve out the inhabitants, or waiting until they ran out of water. If their water could be poisoned, they had to surrender. A good well was extremely important to a castle.
The use of gunpowder made both castles and city walls much more vulnerable, because cannon could knock down the stone walls. Before gunpowder, about the only way to bring down a stone wall was the undermine it, that is, to dig a hole under it. This would cause a portion of the wall to collapse into the hole beneath it. This kind of digging was difficult, especially since the inhabitants of the castle would be fighting to keep their enemies from doing it. (Pouring boiling water on them, shooting at them with arrows, trying to set the shelter they had built over themselves on fire—the usual). Some castles, or parts of castles, were built on solid rock, so they could not be undermined. After gunpowder and cannons became available, there was less point to a castle as a fortification.
A castle was both a fortress and a residence for the lord and his family. By means of a castle, the lord could extend his power out over the surrounding countryside. He offered protection to the peasants over whom he ruled, but he also exerted his power over them. In peace time, there might be only 10 or 12 knights and their horses staying in the castle, but when war threatened there would be many more.
The knights and their servants and their mounts all had to eat, as did the lord, his family, and his servants and officials, and their families. Many castles grew certain types of food inside their walls, to add variety to the diet of those inside the castle, but it was not nearly enough to feed the people in the castle, much less their guests. Castles might have beehives, herb gardens, fruit trees or a fishpond. Because the land inside the castle walls was not enough to feed all these people, they got their food from the peasants who farmed outside, and from hunting. There were restrictions on hunting by the peasants, and sometimes it was forbidden entirely, so that the lord and his retainers would have plenty of game to hunt. Hunting was also a major recreation for the lord and his men.
Part of the purpose of a castle was to be impressive, and to be an assertion of the lord’s power over the area. It also served as a warning to others who might want to take over that part of the land. Since a feudal lord was the vassal of the king, castles at key points in the landscape showed how powerful and in control the king was. Sometimes an entire castle was covered with a layer of whitewash to make it seem even more splendid, especially if it was on a hill, and seen from a distance. Pennants of bright colors, with the lord’s symbol, would fly over the towers. If a tournament or celebration was planned, bright flags might be hung from towers and doorways.
Castles were usually on high ground, which was generally not flat, and there were differing risks of attack from different directions. Castles were often not symmetrical, because they were built according to an individual landscape, and the specific needs of the time. Each castle was arranged differently, and not all parts stayed as they were originally built. Successive lords, who might want more room, or a more impressive sight, added rooms, walls or towers, as they saw fit. http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/castles-stairsway.php
Some of the most famous castles in Germany are those built by King Ludwig II. This Bavarian King had an ambitious imagination and his desires are readily seen in his castles.
Near the town of Eisenach, you'll find one of Germany's oldest castles--Wartburg. Founded in 1067 AD, the legend of its creation says that a German Duke was captivated by the view of the Alps and decided to build a castle at that very spot. Wartburg has many interesting facts about castles in Germany. One of which is that contests for musicians were held in the castle and one can find frescos depicting the winners. The castle also played a part in the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was sent to Wartburg castle as a punishment for leading the Reformation. However, while there he worked on translating the New Testament into German and his original desk is still there today with the Bible he worked on (complete with the comments he scrawled in the margins). In 1999, Wartburg was placed within the World Heritage List and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The first of Ludwig's castles is Linderhof. Originally it was nothing more than a simple wooden hunting lodge that the King could stay in during his many trips into the countryside. However, within a few years, Ludwig commissioned an elegant castle to be built. He declared that this place would be the next Versailles and the French inspiration is quite apparent in the architectural style of the exterior. Broad fountains and elegant statues are located across the grounds. The rooms inside revel in their opulence, with gilded woodwork, many-tired crystal chandeliers, and sprawling beds fit for a King. Linderhof has many intriguing facts about castles in Germany. Be sure to check out the "magic table" in the dining room. The table was engineered so that it could be lowered through the floor and into the kitchen which was built directly beneath the dining room. There, the servants could restock the table and hav e it lifted back up without the King ever seeing them.
The second and perhaps most famous castles in Germany is Neuschwanstein. Located on the slopes of the Alps, it is the very definition of a fairy tale castle. Indeed, one of the interesting facts about castles in Germany is that the Sleeping Beauty castle in Disney Land was actually based on Neuschwanstein. The similarities are quite obvious with this German castle's magnificent spires and bright alabaster walls. The interior is no less fantastic, but some of the rooms were never finished. However, what was completed is absolutely remarkable. In King Ludwig's bedroom, it took a team of 14 carpenters four and a half years just to complete the intricate woodwork. Throughout the castle, you'll find rich tapestries depicting scenes from the operas of Richard Wagne. http://www.mediaspec.com/castles/
Castles Along the Rhein River
From Cologne to Mainz
INTRODUCTION
The castles which are today such an unmistakable feature of the Rhein landscape date back to the Middle Ages. Their founders were feudal overloards, who, so far from cherishing any romantic notions, built them with one simple aim in mind: to protect their lands from marauders and predatory neighbours. They chose mountain-tops as strategically ideal situations, and we today, looking back through the haze of ninteenth-century medievalism, are still often prone to see them as objects of mystery and splendour, forgetting the warlike function for which they were built and the back-breaking labour of the feudal serfs, whom we must presume to have been forcibly employed in quarring the huge stone blocks and dragging them up the mountain slopes.
Since Roman times the Rhein valley has been a line of communication of vital strategic importance. In the Middle Ages the German emperors used it for their frequent progresses into Italy, and rich merchants sent their goods to and fro along it. Obviously anyone owning a castle overlooking the valley was in a powerful position, since he was able to survey and regulate the flow of traffic across his particular territory and levy tolls on merchants. This accounts for the large number of castles along the Rhein from Mainz to Bonn, particularly in the narrow gorge connecting Bingen and Koblenz. Along this stretch of river, which has a length of only thirty-five miles, there are more castles than in any other river valley in the world.
You will have to visit this site for more because there is way too much information.
Too many lists of castles that I cannot put on here. Sorry.
http://home.comcast.net/~ludwig50/ Located in Bavaria in southern Germany
Burghausen Castle
is the longest existing castle in Europe.
It is over a kilometer long
(six tenths of a mile) and has six different courtyards.
Above is the main castle in the first courtyard.
Burghausen describes itself as a "little city" which connects the past and present, the mystical and realism, the traditional and the technological future. It certainly does and is one of those rare "finds" that you feel you've discovered yourself.
Kayla's Notes on Castles
are a private residence of a lord
they were designed for safety against charge of enemies.
included staff: constable-looked after buildings; marshal-in charge of horses, garrison, outside servants; chamberlain- looked after food and drink; steward-ran finances and estates.
were a symbol of power
important meetings held there
In 9th and 10th centuries, built for protection against vikings and Magyars.
early castles-built of earth and timber, surrounded by a ditch and a fence
10th century-started to be made of stone
towers were expensive, so they took a long time to build
zigzag designs were popular in 12th century
German castle design-influence by land: built on mountains (steepness made assault by men or machines hard) or hills or on banks of Rhine River
Wasserburg-type of castle protected by a wide moat
Examples of castles: Schloss Mespelbrunn, Cochem Castle, Pfalzgrafenstein, Lichtenstein
chapels were in Christian castles. Many people couldn't read, so carved stonework and wall paintings decorating the chapel illustrated the bible story.
MORE.....
Mespelbrunn Castle: located in northern Bavaria in a small hidden valley; because of this, it survived the 30 years war and both World Wars.
Dear Mom and Dad,
My visit to Germany has been quite remarkable. I wish you were here to see the magnificent architecture of the castles. Did you know that some of the Disney castle's were based on real German castles? Like the castle in the Disney film "Sleeping Beauty" was based on the Neuschwanstein castle, and Disney's castle in Magic Kingdom, also based on the Neuschwanstein castle! The first castles in Germany were built out of earth and timber. And the easiest area for the builders to make was always the ring work (a large area enclosed and surrounded by a ditch with rampart inside it). I am sure glad I am not visiting one of those earth built castles. That would be like visiting a mud hole! EWWW! But I very much enjoyed visiting the castles because most were very large and spacious, a perfect place for a military to have its base. The one castle I visited very often was the Rhine castle
Some cool parts of a castle are the baily, moat and the motte. The baily is the courtyard around a castle, the moat is a steep-sided ditch around a castle that was often filled with water, and the motte was the mound of earth that held a tower that was surrounded by a wall and a ditch. Also, most German castles had one tower that was taller than the rest. This tower is called the bergfried. It doesn't have a lot of room in it, and is thought to have been used as observation posts and places for last-ditch defense. Most German castles were built in a Romanesque style. They had thick walls, few windows making it dark, and round windows. Other castles were built in a Gothic style. These castles had thinner walls, more windows making it well lighted, and more decorations.
I can't believe people didn't actually start building stone castles until the tenth century. But apparently at that time there weren't very many stone castles because it cost too much, took too much time and took too many people to build it, such as skilled masons. Those masons had to be very skilled to be able to make such master pieces. The zigzag design on the castles are very common now but they didn't become popular until the 12th century. I wonder why they have zigzag lines now but not in the ninth and tenth century's. Oh well, maybe I will never know.
There are sooo many people working in the castle like constables, who look after buildings in the castle; marshals, who are in charge of the horses; garrisons; outside servants; chamberlains; who look after food and drink, and stewards; who run finances and estates. In the Medieval days, there were butlers who worked at the castle. They were the most important servant. They were in charge of buying and storing food and drink and they were in charge of the lower servants. You would really like the horses and the groomers here who take care of the horses. They are so gentle and kind, just like you.
My favorite part of the castles are the locations of them. Most are placed on a mountain, near a river, or on a hill. The reason they made them like this was because it helped the military of the castle. If the castle was built on a mountain, it was very hard for men and their machines to climb up it. Just like it was hard for me to climb up those really steep steps; I broke into a sweat! These castles on mountains wouldn't be the type of castle called wasserburg, a castle with a little stream surrounding it. Another type of castle I have learned about is known as a Randhausburg. The word Randhausburg meanes "Border or Margin house Castle". I haven't seen very many christian castles, which would hold a chapel. But I have heard that the pictures on the walls of the chapel were very important because a lot of people couldn't read back then, the walls of the chapel told the story of the bible.
Some of the castles I visited were: Cochem Castle, Plafzgrafenstein, Lichtenstein, Rhine castle, and Mespelbrunn castle. I liked Mespelbrunn castle the most though. It is located in northern Bavaria in a small, hidden valley. Because of this location, it has survived the 30 year war and both World Wars! My second favorite castle was the Burghausen Castle. It is also located in Bavaria, Germany, I really can't believe it's over a kilometer long, and it has over SIX courtyards!! Wow that's big!! And to my surprise it turns out that Burghausen Castle is actually the longest existing castle in Europe. Many people and the people that work/ live in the castle refer to the castle as "a little city, that connects the past and the present." But truthfully I just like it for its name. I also loved Geibichenstein Castle. It's located in the city Halle, in the German state Saxory-Ahault. Geibichenstein is the oldest castle at the Saale river and there is only a ruin left. It has been reconstucted in a way so that nothing will fall on you while visiting! Boy, am I glad of that!
The most interesting topic I've learned about here is King Ludwig II. He became a king at age 18 and dreamed of building a castle of his own, in which he called Neuschwanstein. He began the constuction of his castle in 1869. It was very modern, having a telephone system, hot and cold running water, heating in every room, and even automatic flush toilets! Soon, he ran out of money for Neuschwanstein,
Another thing I noticed in and around the castles were the weapons. Although they're not in use now, they were still very interesting. Some weapons were rolling wooden towers covered with large hides to stop any attempts of an arrow attack, they were also kept soaking wet so if you tried a fire ball attack or fire arrow attack it would still be stopped. Others were catapults; which threw huge stones, loads of rocks, diseased livestock, or fire bombs, and battering rams; which were used to break down doors. Wow, I sure would not like to get in the cross fire of a battle between castles. That is definitely no place for anyone with a faint heart like me.
Even though I've seen only a few castles in the rest of Europe, I believe German Castles have the most variety of designs. The environment around them contributes to the design of the castle, which I think is sooo cool. I believe that the castles of Germany are mysterious and magical. Well I have to go now; so many castles, so little time! Tcshau!!
Miss You,
Elizabeth
Kala-Green
Carissa-Pink
Rough Draft
Dear Mom and Dad,
My visit to Germany has been quite remarkable. I wish you were here to see the magnificent architecture of the castles. Did you know that some of the Disney castle's were based on real German castles? Yeah, I know that's really unexpected and interesting. The first castles in Germany were built out of earth and timber. And the easiest area for the builders to make was always the ring work (a large area enclosed and surrounded by a ditch with rampart inside it). I am sure glad I am not visiting one of those earth built castles. That would be like visiting a mud hole! EWWW! But I very much enjoyed visiting the castles because most were very large and spacious, a perfect place for a military to have its base. The one castle I visited very often was the Rhine castle, I put a picture in here for you too. Some cool parts of a castle are the baily, moat and the motte. The baily is the courtyard around a castle, the moat is a steep-sided ditch around a castle that was often filled with water, and the motte was the mound of earth that held a tower that was surrounded by a wall and a ditch. Also, most German castles had one tower that was taller than the rest. This tower is called the bergfried. It doesn't have a lot of room in it, and is thought to have been used as observation posts and places for last-ditch defense. Most German castles were built in a Romanesque style. They had thick walls, few windows making it dark, and round windows. Other castles were built in a Gothic style. These castles had thinner walls, more windows making it well lighted, and had more decorations. I can't believe people didn't actually start building stone castles until the tenth century. But apparently at that time there weren't very many stone castles because it cost too much, took too much time and took too many people to build it, such as skilled masons. Those masons had to be very skilled to be able to make such master pieces. The zigzag design on the castles are very common now but they didn't become popular until the 12th century. I wonder why they have zigzag lines now but not in the ninth and tenth century's. Oh well, maybe I will never know.
There are sooo many people working in the castle like constables, who look after buildings in the castle; marshals, who are in charge of the horses; garrisons; outside servants; chamberlains; who look after food and drink, and stewards; who run finances and estates. In the Medieval days, there were butlers who worked at the castle. They were the most important servant. They were in charge of buying and storing food and drink and they were in charge of the lower servants. You would really like the horses and the groomers here who take care of the horses. They are so gentle and kind, just like you. My favorite part of the castles are the locations of them. Most are placed on a mountain, near a river, or on a hill. The reason they made them like this was because it helped the military of the castle. If the castle was built on a mountain, it was very hard for men and their machines to climb up it. Just like it was hard for me to climb up those really steep steps; I broke into a sweat! But castles on mountains wouldn't be the type of castle called wasserburg, a castle with a little stream surrounding it. Another type of castle I have learned about is known as a Randhausburg. The word Randhausburg meanes "Border or Margin house Castle".
I haven't seen very many christian castles, which would hold a chapel. But I have heard that the pictures on the walls of the chapel were very important because a lot of people couldn't read back then, the walls of the chapel told the story of the bible.
Some of the castles I visited were: Cochem Castle, Plafzgrafenstein, Lichtenstein, Rhine castle, and Mespelbrunn castle. I liked Mespelbrunn castle the most though. It is located in northern Bavaria in a small, hidden valley. Because of this location, it has survived the 30 year war and both World Wars! My second favorite castle was the Burghausen Castle. It's located in the southern area of Germany, in a place called Baveria. I really can't believe it's over a kilometer long, and it has over SIX courtyards!! Wow that's big!! And to my surprise it turns out that Burghausen Castle is actually the longest existing castle in Europe. Many people and the people that work/ live in the castle refer to the castle as "a little city, that connects the past and the present." But truthfully I just like it for its name. I also loved Geibichenstein Castle. It's located in the city Halle, in the German state Saxory-Ahault. Geibichenstein is the oldest castle at the Saale river and there is only a ruin left. It has been reconstucted in a way so that nothing will fall on you while visiting! Boy, am I glad of that!
The most interesting topic I've learned about here is King Ludwig II. He became a king at age 18 and dreamed of building a castle of his own, in which he called Neuschwanstein. He began the constuction of his castle in 1869. It was very modern, having a telephone system, hot and cold running water, heating in every room, and even automatic flush toilets! Soon, he ran out of money for Neuschwanstein, and began asking other countries for money to build his dream castle. Later, King Ludwig II was declared insane and arrested. Neuschwanstein opened to the public 7 weeks after his strange death: drowning in a lake. Did you know that "Mad" King Ludwig II's dream castle appeared in the 1968 movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? I love that movie!!!
Another thing I noticed in and around the castles were the weapons. Although they're not in use now, they were still very interesting. Some weapons were rolling wooden towers covered with large hides to stop any attempts of an arrow attack, they were also kept soaking wet so if you tried a fire ball attack or fire arrow attack it would still be stopped. Others were catapults; which threw huge stones, loads of rocks, diseased livestock, or fire bombs, and battering rams; which were used to break down doors. Wow, I sure would not like to get in the cross fire of a battle between castles. That is definitely no place for anyone with a faint heart like me. Even though I've seen only a few castles in the rest of Europe, I believe German Castles have the most variety of designs. The environment around them contributes to the design of the castle, which I think is sooo cool. I believe that the castles of Germany are mysterious and magical. Well I have to go now; so many castles, so little time! Tcshau!!
Miss You,
Elizabeth
kayla's comments:
I highlighted the parts that I think we don't really need in red. I also added a few things. I think I need to take a few more notes before I add too much more on, if that's OK. I'll try to be quick about it!
I found some pictures!!!!
Rhine castle
Notes:
Castle by: Christopher Gravett
The First Castles
The earliest castles were in the 9th and 10th century, when the empire was made by Charlemaghe in modern France, Germany, and north Italy. Collapsed as a result of raids by people like Vikings and Magyars (Hungarian Nomads). They built castles for protection and a vase for soldiers. Most early castles were built out of earth and timber. The easiest part of building a castle was the ring work (a larg area enclosed and surrounded by a ditch with rampart inside it).
The Great Tower
10th century is when lords began building castles out of stone. A large stone castle could become a main military and residential building of a castle. Few towers were built like this though because they were expensive, took too long to build, and they needed lots of skilled masons (stone workers to design the castles). Until the 11th century. They are known as keeps now, but they were revered as great towers or donjons. Normans liked great toweres with thick walls so they built several after their conquest of England in 1066.
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/castle_history.htm
-Large stone castles were built in Europe from about the 1100’s to about the 1500’s. These huge buildings served not only to defend the country from foreign invaders but as the basic tool in preserving the king’s and the nobles’ power over the land. The social system was very rigid in the Middle Ages.
Under Feudalism, the basic social structure in this time, all land was held by the king. The king gave pieces of this land to various high nobles, in return for their help in fighting his wars or in putting down rebellions. Not only did the higher nobles have to fight for the king themselves, they had to supply a certain number of lesser lords and other knights to help fight also. These higher nobles then gave some of their land to lesser knights, in return for their help in battle. Below all the knights were the serfs, who actually farmed the land. They gave a portion of their crops each year to the lord who ruled over them, in return for use of the land and protection.
The king could not be everywhere in the country, especially with the poor roads and the limited transportation of the Middle Ages. The king’s vassals, the lords, however, could be all over the country, with their castles as symbols of their power for all to see.
A man’s son inherited his lands and his obligations to fight. As time went on, inheritances became complicated, because there were lords who had no living children, who had only daughters as heiresses, and who split their inheritances among their sons (rarely daughters). When the daughter of a lord married the son of another lord, the young couple inherited land from both families. If the overlord from whom they got one piece goes to war with the overlord from whom they got the other piece—on which side did they fight? If there are two possible heirs to the throne itself, for whom do they fight? If a higher lord rebels against the king, does his vassal fight for the lord, or for the king? Who is closer, and more likely to take away his castle and his land? What will the other knights do? Which families is he allied to, by marriage or other bonds?
The castle was both a residence for the lord and his family, and a fortification. It was a strong place for the lord to defend himself against his enemies (and the king’s enemies, and his overlord’s enemies), a safe place for him and his knights to return to, and a place to live which emphasized his power. A few heavily armed knights could control a large area, if there was no organized army to go against them. Not only did knights fight against foreign enemies, they fought a lot against each other, and they put down rebellions among the peasants. Showing that you had
Stone and wood were about the only building materials available. Slate and thatch (bundles of reeds or other plants in a thick bundle) were used for roofs, but not for walls. Fortunately, northern Europe had large amounts of both wood and stone. Wood didn’t last as long, but, worse, it could be set on fire by the other side. Stone is very strong in compression (stone can hold up a great deal of weight). Mortar and gravity kept the stones in place. Once a stone building is constructed, it needs very little maintenance and lasts a long time. It is not, however, very pleasant to live in—a stone castle is cold, damp and dark. Many pieces were added to improve the castle as a residence.
Castles were built to keep out enemies. When an attack was expected, the drawbridge was raised, the gates and portcullis were closed, and archers were stationed on the towers. The walls were not only high, in a well-planned castle, but they were arranged as much as possible so that anyone climbing the walls could be shot at from two directions. Many castles have strange shapes because the castle was designed to accommodate the terrain, and to catch attackers in a crossfire.
The castle’s defenses invited a great deal of ingenuity from the attackers. Rolling wooden towers, covered with thick hides to stop arrows and kept wet so they could not be set on fire, were brought up to the walls in an attack. Sometimes they even worked. Catapults threw heavy stones at the walls to make a breach or loads of rocks (or diseased livestock, or fire bombs) over the walls. The battering ram—generally used against a door—was an old favorite.
Thoughts of these different ‘siege engines’ were always on the minds of the castles’ designers. The castle was often built on a raised platform. Roads to the castle angled and sloped to restrict the easy use of battering rams and the like. There was often also the traditional moat (left behind from digging out the earth to make the raised platform for the castle) and drawbridge, just to keep things interesting.
Another method of defeating a castle was laying siege to it, by trying to starve out the inhabitants, or waiting until they ran out of water. If their water could be poisoned, they had to surrender. A good well was extremely important to a castle.
The use of gunpowder made both castles and city walls much more vulnerable, because cannon could knock down the stone walls. Before gunpowder, about the only way to bring down a stone wall was the undermine it, that is, to dig a hole under it. This would cause a portion of the wall to collapse into the hole beneath it. This kind of digging was difficult, especially since the inhabitants of the castle would be fighting to keep their enemies from doing it. (Pouring boiling water on them, shooting at them with arrows, trying to set the shelter they had built over themselves on fire—the usual). Some castles, or parts of castles, were built on solid rock, so they could not be undermined. After gunpowder and cannons became available, there was less point to a castle as a fortification.
A castle was both a fortress and a residence for the lord and his family. By means of a castle, the lord could extend his power out over the surrounding countryside. He offered protection to the peasants over whom he ruled, but he also exerted his power over them. In peace time, there might be only 10 or 12 knights and their horses staying in the castle, but when war threatened there would be many more.
The knights and their servants and their mounts all had to eat, as did the lord, his family, and his servants and officials, and their families. Many castles grew certain types of food inside their walls, to add variety to the diet of those inside the castle, but it was not nearly enough to feed the people in the castle, much less their guests. Castles might have beehives, herb gardens, fruit trees or a fishpond. Because the land inside the castle walls was not enough to feed all these people, they got their food from the peasants who farmed outside, and from hunting. There were restrictions on hunting by the peasants, and sometimes it was forbidden entirely, so that the lord and his retainers would have plenty of game to hunt. Hunting was also a major recreation for the lord and his men.
Part of the purpose of a castle was to be impressive, and to be an assertion of the lord’s power over the area. It also served as a warning to others who might want to take over that part of the land. Since a feudal lord was the vassal of the king, castles at key points in the landscape showed how powerful and in control the king was. Sometimes an entire castle was covered with a layer of whitewash to make it seem even more splendid, especially if it was on a hill, and seen from a distance. Pennants of bright colors, with the lord’s symbol, would fly over the towers. If a tournament or celebration was planned, bright flags might be hung from towers and doorways.
Castles were usually on high ground, which was generally not flat, and there were differing risks of attack from different directions. Castles were often not symmetrical, because they were built according to an individual landscape, and the specific needs of the time. Each castle was arranged differently, and not all parts stayed as they were originally built. Successive lords, who might want more room, or a more impressive sight, added rooms, walls or towers, as they saw fit.
http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/castles-stairsway.php
Some of the most famous castles in Germany are those built by King Ludwig II. This Bavarian King had an ambitious imagination and his desires are readily seen in his castles.
Near the town of Eisenach, you'll find one of Germany's oldest castles--Wartburg. Founded in 1067 AD, the legend of its creation says that a German Duke was captivated by the view of the Alps and decided to build a castle at that very spot. Wartburg has many interesting facts about castles in Germany. One of which is that contests for musicians were held in the castle and one can find frescos depicting the winners. The castle also played a part in the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther was sent to Wartburg castle as a punishment for leading the Reformation. However, while there he worked on translating the New Testament into German and his original desk is still there today with the Bible he worked on (complete with the comments he scrawled in the margins). In 1999, Wartburg was placed within the World Heritage List and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
The first of Ludwig's castles is Linderhof. Originally it was nothing more than a simple wooden hunting lodge that the King could stay in during his many trips into the countryside. However, within a few years, Ludwig commissioned an elegant castle to be built. He declared that this place would be the next Versailles and the French inspiration is quite apparent in the architectural style of the exterior. Broad fountains and elegant statues are located across the grounds. The rooms inside revel in their opulence, with gilded woodwork, many-tired crystal chandeliers, and sprawling beds fit for a King. Linderhof has many intriguing facts about castles in Germany. Be sure to check out the "magic table" in the dining room. The table was engineered so that it could be lowered through the floor and into the kitchen which was built directly beneath the dining room. There, the servants could restock the table and hav e it lifted back up without the King ever seeing them.
The second and perhaps most famous castles in Germany is Neuschwanstein. Located on the slopes of the Alps, it is the very definition of a fairy tale castle. Indeed, one of the interesting facts about castles in Germany is that the Sleeping Beauty castle in Disney Land was actually based on Neuschwanstein. The similarities are quite obvious with this German castle's magnificent spires and bright alabaster walls. The interior is no less fantastic, but some of the rooms were never finished. However, what was completed is absolutely remarkable. In King Ludwig's bedroom, it took a team of 14 carpenters four and a half years just to complete the intricate woodwork. Throughout the castle, you'll find rich tapestries depicting scenes from the operas of Richard Wagne.
http://www.mediaspec.com/castles/
Castles Along the Rhein River
From Cologne to Mainz
The castles which are today such an unmistakable feature of the Rhein landscape date back to the Middle Ages. Their founders were feudal overloards, who, so far from cherishing any romantic notions, built them with one simple aim in mind: to protect their lands from marauders and predatory neighbours. They chose mountain-tops as strategically ideal situations, and we today, looking back through the haze of ninteenth-century medievalism, are still often prone to see them as objects of mystery and splendour, forgetting the warlike function for which they were built and the back-breaking labour of the feudal serfs, whom we must presume to have been forcibly employed in quarring the huge stone blocks and dragging them up the mountain slopes.
Since Roman times the Rhein valley has been a line of communication of vital strategic importance. In the Middle Ages the German emperors used it for their frequent progresses into Italy, and rich merchants sent their goods to and fro along it. Obviously anyone owning a castle overlooking the valley was in a powerful position, since he was able to survey and regulate the flow of traffic across his particular territory and levy tolls on merchants. This accounts for the large number of castles along the Rhein from Mainz to Bonn, particularly in the narrow gorge connecting Bingen and Koblenz. Along this stretch of river, which has a length of only thirty-five miles, there are more castles than in any other river valley in the world.
You will have to visit this site for more because there is way too much information.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Castles_in_Germany
Too many lists of castles that I cannot put on here. Sorry.
http://home.comcast.net/~ludwig50/
Located in Bavaria in southern Germany
Burghausen Castle
is the longest existing castle in Europe.
It is over a kilometer long
(six tenths of a mile) and has six different courtyards.
Above is the main castle in the first courtyard.
Burghausen describes itself as a "little city" which connects the past and present, the mystical and realism, the traditional and the technological future. It certainly does and is one of those rare "finds" that you feel you've discovered yourself.
Kayla's Notes on Castles
MORE.....
- Mespelbrunn Castle: located in northern Bavaria in a small hidden valley; because of this, it survived the 30 years war and both World Wars.
MORE....- Gesmold castle: good place for walking
*